Death penalty weighed in Kirkland slayings

Maleng to decide by Oct. 27 if he'll seek it

King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng plans to decide by Oct. 27 whether he'll seek the death penalty for a man accused of stabbing four people to death and setting fire to their Kirkland home.

Maleng was legally required to make that decision later this month, but attorneys for Conner Schierman wanted more time to gather information about the young man in hopes of persuading Maleng not to seek a death sentence.

In a Superior Court hearing Monday, Schierman's attorney, James Conroy, suggested the October deadline might still be too soon, though Judge Greg Canova said the law leaves it up to the prosecutor -- not a judge -- to decide whether to extend the deadline.

Conroy said he would also ask to have Schierman's trial moved to another county because of the publicity surrounding the crime and the charges.

Deputy Prosecutor Scott O'Toole said he would oppose a motion for a change of venue. A trial date has not been set.

Schierman faces four counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of Olga Milkin, 28; her sister, Lyubov Botvina, 24; and Milkin's two sons, Justin, 5, and Andrew, 3. All were found dead in their charred home July 17.

Schierman, a 24-year-old hotel maintenance worker who lived across the street, told police he awoke from an alcoholic blackout to find himself in the victims' home and decided to burn the place, according to court papers.

Schierman's attorneys also have asked to have the case dismissed -- something they acknowledge is a long shot -- because the Kirkland Police Department released a thick stack of documents about the case to a television news station.

Canova said he planned to review the documents before ruling on that and several related issues, including whether police should be barred from releasing any more information about the case.